San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are a boater’s paradise. Whether you come in a motor boat, a sailboat, or a kayak, the islands protected waters and wildlife provide plenty of opportunities for exploration and discovery. The San Juans are actually part of a larger archipelago that includes the Gulf Islands of neighboring British Columbia. Together, these islands were sculpted by icy bulldozers, aka glaciers, which slowly ground their way across this area during the last ice age, between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago. Many people are often surprised to hear that this area also enjoys a pleasantly dry and sunny climate when compared to much of the rest of the Pacific northwest region because they lie in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which rise dramatically from the sea to the west. We were fortunate enough to sample some of this beautiful weather the entire day while we cruised the islands aboard our Zodiacs, kayaks, and from the bow of the Sea Lion.
We began the day with a colorful sunrise as we sailed into Roche Harbor, at the north end of San Juan Island. After breakfast we repositioned to the much smaller, 180-acre Jones Island for our mornings explorations. After a quick Zodiac shuttle to shore, many jumped into single or double kayaks for a leisurely paddle around the island. Several were entertained by a curious harbor seal swimming amongst a kelp bed near shore. The hikers were able to see how dry the island was, not only because of effects of the rain shadow, but also due to the exceptionally low precipitation this year. While Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock are common northwest trees, there are not many places where you can see them growing next to prickly pear cactus! A few others toured the island by Zodiac before heading back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon siesta.
The remainder of our day was spent cruising north through the Gulf Islands and back into Canadian waters. As we squeezed through the channel at Active Pass, we suddenly emerged into the Strait of Georgia. From here we could look south into the US and the icy summit of Mount Baker, east of our ultimate destination of Vancouver on the BC mainland, and north to the impressive Coast Range, which would provide the backdrop to tomorrows adventures at Princess Louisa Inlet.
